The Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital has named August Back to School Safety Month, and with summer ending and the start of school just around the corner, everyone needs to do their part to help children learn and practice the “Back to School Safety Rules” for walking, bicycling, and or riding in a School Bus or passenger car.

Back to School Safety Tips

Walking:

• Choose the safest route between home and school and practice walking it with children until they can demonstrate traffic safety awareness.

• Use the same route every day and avoid shortcuts.

• Walk to school with other students. Strength in numbers.

• Teach children to recognize and obey traffic signals and pavement markings.

• Always look both ways before crossing the street at the corner and never enter streets from between parked cars or from behind shrubbery.

• Avoid talking to strangers and keep distance between themselves any stranger attempting to approach or make contact with them. If a stranger approaches, tell a trusted adult such as a parent or teacher.

• Never get into a vehicle with a person even if you know them without your parents permission.

Riding Bicycles:

Bicycles are associated with more childhood injuries than any other consumer product except the car. To make sure children are safe when riding bicycles to school:

• Check with your school principal to make sure bicycles are allowed. Some schools do not allow students to ride bicycles until a specific grade.

• Make sure the student is wearing a helmet! Helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent.

• Obey rules of the road; the rules are the same for all vehicles, including bicycles.

• Stay on the right-hand side of the road and ride in the same direction as traffic.

• Know and use appropriate hand signals.

• Choose the safest route between home and school and practice it with children until they can demonstrate traffic safety awareness.

Bus Stop/Riding the Bus:

Although bus travel is one of the safest ways to get to and from school, injuries can still occur, and most of them take place when children are getting on or off the bus. Some safety tips for riding the bus are:

• Students should not attempt to ride a school bus, unless assigned by their school.

• Arrive at the assigned bus stop ten minutes before bus pickup.

• An adult should wait with children until the bus arrives.

• Wait quietly and orderly and be respectful and watchful of traffic.

• Stand on the sidewalk or curb and stay out of the street.

• Allow the bus to come to a complete stop.

• Board the bus in a quiet and orderly manner.

• Remain seated and keep head and arms inside the bus at all times.

• Cross the street in front of the bus so that the Bus Driver can see you.

• Do not shout or distract the driver.

Driving (Parents or Guardians):

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths among children age 14 and under. To reduce the risk of injury:

• Always use child safety seats and safety belts correctly when driving or riding in a car.

• Arrive early- especially the first few weeks of school- and use the school’s designated student drop- off and pick- up zone.

• Follow the designated procedures for Student Drop-Off or Pickup . This will assist in maintaining a timely flow of traffic.

• Maintain calmness and patience during the Dismissal or Drop-Off process. The normal procedures can be completed in a 30 minute window if there is patience and cooperation exhibited by all. Be a positive role model during this short period.

• Do not double park or make u-turns in front of the school or park in places that can obstruct the traffic flow and create hazardous conditions for pedestrians on campus.

• Students should enter and leave the car on the curbside designated for Student Drop-Off and Pickup.

• Pick your child up on time so they are not left waiting near or out front of the school unattended.

In School / On Campus Rules:

Make sure students are aware of all school rules governing their behavior while in school.

• Children may be embarrassed about being targeted by bullies, let them know it’s OK to report a bully to a teacher, principal or resource officer. Stop Bullying Before it Starts!

• Never be afraid to tell a teacher or administrator if you see something happening that you know is wrong.